Measuring instrument for use of tailors



April 28, 1936. 1.. BRANCHINI MEASURING INSTRUMENT FOR USE OF TAILORS Filed Aug. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l v 0 0 m ma @Lltlllu ra h a u w H! J a Y. 5 6 1 f =O= D u HM 6 =O=! B w v or o Fa ok. G v L WW w :1 3 O Q n I J O= I v 51.261 4 v W/ W %%5- April 28, 1936. v c l 2,038,711

MEASURING INSTRUMENT FOR USE OF TAILORS Filed Aug. 16, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IL. A

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/ NveN To Fi Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES MEASURING INSTRUMENT FOR USE OF TAILORS Luigi Branchini, Rome, Italy Application August 16, 1934, Serial No. 740,157

r In Italy September 5, 1933 3 Claims.

At present, in order to proceed to the manu- :facture of any dress the tailors are obliged to take a number of measures on the person for which the dress must be manufactured, such measures, in accordance to some. very complex rules, serving to the tailor to make the proper pattern out of paper or cloth. So doing the tailor develops on a fiat plane a curved surface in a necessarily approximate way so that the dress has originally a number of defects which are then removed, although not always completely, through a number of subsequent trials which constitute a trouble and a loss of time.

Besides, owing to the way the measures are taken, the tailor cannot directly appreciate the asymmetry which always exists between the right and the left parts in any human body.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus serving to take with the utmost exactness and rapidity a greater number of measures than has been realized heretofore by dividing the human body in four portions each being separately measured.

A single apparatus according to the invention, serves for both gentlemens and ladies dresses.

The accompanying drawings, which must be considered as explanatory, illustrate the preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the left hand portion of the apparatus designed for measuring the trunk portion, having some of its elements in the connected condition;

Figure 2 is a view of the right hand portion of the same having all its elements or members in the position in which they are superimposed on the paper for designing the patterns.

Figures 1 and 2 together illustrate the apparatus for the. measurement of the trunk portion which includes four analogous sections corresponding to the four quarter portions into which a person must be considered as divided for the manufacturing of dresses. These sections which are indicated as A, B, C, D correspond to the right hand portion of the back, the righthand portion of the breast, the left hand portion of the breast, and the left hand portion of the back respectively. The sections A and D are symmetrical to each other. The breast and back portions are almost symmetrical there being however some difierences for reasons that will be specified hereinafter. Besides, the sections B and C that correspond to the breast (which latter is always more developed) are wider than the sections A and D in order to provide the necessary fullness.

In the following specification and in the drawings the corresponding elements in the various sections will be designated by the same reference numerals, and when it will be necessary to precisely define the section or sections to which they pertain, this will be specifically pointed out, or the characteristic letter of the section will be added to the reference numeral of the element.

The sections can be assembled together by means of press studs as shown in the drawings or by means of fasteners of the slidable clasp kind.

For sake of simplicity I shall say in advance that in general the variouselements, with the exception of the vertical bands on the side edges of each section and several other elements, must be adapted to be varied in length each being therefore made in the form of two lengths ,of straps or bands slidably connected with one another, said straps being graduated in inches or centimeters.

The preferred adjustable connections are made as follows: A slot is provided in one of the two pieces and a small screw threaded pin is fix-.

edly mounted on the other piece of the element, said pin being adapted to slide into said slot and be secured therein inthe desired position by screwing on it a small knurled button or nut.

Although I do not wish to berestrained to any particular kind of material for the construc-.

tion of the apparatus, I shall say that the various bands are preferably made in the form of thin steel ribbons.

Each section of the apparatus comprises the vertical side bands I and I, respectively corresponding to the middle line of the body and to the line of the side. The band I is supplied with the long slots 2 and 3 and the band I is correspondingly supplied with the long slots 2' and 3'. Secured at right angles on the vertical bands I and I is an element 4 which is adjustable in length and must be situated along the largest circumference of the chest under the arms The two other horizontal elements 5 and 6 have their ends supplied with pins adapted to slide into the slots 2, 2' and 3, 3' respectively so that said elements are not only adjustable in length but they can also be positioned at the convenient height on the person.

, If desired, a larger number of horizontal elements than those represented in the drawings can be used, this however being not necessary as the important circumferential measures are.

those of the chest, the waist and the abdomen.

The bands IA and ID are prolonged at their upper end by an element 7 which must extend from the middle back point of the circumference of the chest upwards to the base contour of the neck. The element 8 which must extend from the front middle point of the circumference of the chest up to the base of the neck for each of the sections B and C is on the contrary adapted to be secured by means of. a press stud or the like to the upper end of the element I of the associated section.

' The elements I are fixedly secured to the associated neck bands I8, whilst the elements 8 are pivoted at II on the associated elements III.

The base of the neck is marked-as already mentionedby the curved elements I0, having each a branch I2 set at a given angle with'respect to the relevant element III, as represented in the drawings.

Pivotally fixed at I3 on each of the members III-I2 is a member I4 which must be located on the top line of the shoulder of the person. The

members I4, which must be of 'suflicient length forany size of shoulders, are provided'with'a long slot I5 into which an index I6 can be secured at the end point of the shoulder.

Pivoted at- I8 on each shoulder'band I4 is a member. I9 having a slot .28 into which a screw threaded pin 2| can be fixed by means of a nut, said pin being carried by .the branch I2.

Pivoted at I2 on the endof the branch I2 in thelback sections A and D is a member 22 which is adjustable in length, the lower end of which is adapted to be secured to the element 4 by means of a press stud 23.

In the breast sections B and C., on the contrary, the member22, which corresponds to the member22 of sections A and D, has one end pivoted at 2|, whilst the other end is pivotally fixed to an upper extension of a band 24 which extends from the vertical element I underneath the band 4.

' Pivoted at 25 on the band 22 of the sections A '35 length and hasthe other end pivoted at 21 on the andD is anelement 26 which is adjustable in band .I... 25 is a special pin which constitutes at its lower portion the. pivot for the free relative tionof the pivot 30 there are two elements which are adjustable in length. The element 26 is,

symmetrical to the element 26 of the sections A and B whilst the element 3| ends on a pivot located on the band 4, of the chest adjacent to the vertical band I.

The upper portion of the pivot 38 is received in a slot of an element 28 whichis'similar to the already mentioned element 28 of the sections A and D.

The bands I'A and I'D carry an element 28' provided with a T-shaped head29 which must be brought to touch the contour of the arm.

The press studs for the connection of the sections to each other'are generally designated by 32.

Mention will be made nowof the way of using the apparatus in order to take the measures and to the method for drawing the pattern based on said measures. 1

To perform this operation the apparatus is put on the person and the adjacent sections are connected to each other by means of the press studs '32, 23, 9. The elements 4 of the apparatus will then be tightened on the person along the largest circumference of the'chest, care being taken that said elements 4 are in a horizontal position, they a being maintained in this horizontal condition by adjusting the elements 1, 8, 22 and 22.- Then "sides. the base ofthe neck, the other upper elements 7 'tions could not be brought inga plane.

the elements 5 and 6 will be tightened after being adjusted on the person at the convenient height, i. e. along the waist and the abdomen contour respectively. Attention must be made that the elements I and I effectively follow with no deviation the central lines of the front, back and The elements I9 are then tightened around assuming their proper position by themselves.

The elements 28; 29 and 28, 29' are then brought tangent to the contour of the arm whilst the person by releasing the convenient press studs;

Notice must then be taken of the differences between the lengths of'members 5 and 6 of each section and the length of member-4 of the same section and then the elements 5 and 6 are re-- leased and brought to the 1 same length as the corresponding element or member 4. In this way there is obtained for the lower portion of each section a rectangular figure having as its short side the element 4 and for its long sides the elements I and I'.

In order todevelop on a plane surface the uppe portion of the sectionsA and D, their element 22 must be detached from the element 4, and for the.

sections B and C, their element 8 must be detached from the element 4 as indicated in Figure 2,'or otherwise the upper portion of the sec- When bringing on a plane the upper'portions of the back sections A and D, the element I sets itself in prolongation of the band I. ments which are freely rotatable can vary their relative angular position and the blocked portions maintain their angular relationship.

The other ele- In general the lower end of the element 22'will on development be displaced from the connecting V V case may be.

For the breast sections B and C, on the contrary, the element 22' maintains its angular relationship with theband 4 owing to the fact that the triangle formed by the band' 24, the element SI and the lower part of said element 22 is not deformable. Therefore, on bringing the upper part of said sections on a plane surface, the 7 lower end of element 8 will be displaced upwardly or downwardly from the upper end of the 1 associated band I, as the case may be.

be given toward the shoulder or toward the breast.

These results cannot be given by any other method or system of measurement and cutting, and as from an erroneous appreciation of the amount of protrusion of the back and breast depended heretofore the greatest part of the defects of the dresses, with the use of my apparatus, this cause of errors is eliminated.

Without departing from the field of the invention the sections of the back might be made symmetrical to the breast sections.

As said above with the lower portion of each section there is formed a rectangle which has to be modified in relation with the cross measures given by the members 5 and 6.

The difference between the elements 5 and 6 and the corresponding element 4 is neatly and skilfully taken away from the side and center lines or may be taken care of by means of wedges. This adjustment varies according to the prevailing fashion and the kind of suit to be manufactured. It offers no difiiculty however even to tailors of only ordinary skill.

The design, as it has been seen, is of utmost facility as it is sufiicient to follow the outline of the elements only leaving a margin at will and adopting the above said provisions.

The contour of the sleeve must be drawn from the two indexes l6 of the elements I tangentially to the elements 29 and 29'.

As the design is so simple it will be easy, beside being convenient, to draw the design of each section separately.

The above specified apparatus also supplies the measures of the waist and abdomen which are essential for the manufacture of trousers or of a petticoat.

It must be well understood that the above specified apparatus can be modified in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention, the

specification and the drawings having to be considered as explanatory not limitative.

If in practice the circumferential size of the standard apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, as it will be put on the market, is insufficient, as the case may be when it must be applied to fat persons, instead of directly connecting the section A to the section B and the section C to the section D,

I any suitable interponents will be inserted therebetween.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for use of tailors for taking the measures of the trunk by being applied on the person, characterized in that it comprises four sections which correspond to the front and back half portions of the person respectively, said portions being formed each by elements or members which are adjustable in length and graduated according to a chosen standard, in which the portion of each section that remains below the circumference of the chest includes two bands which must be placed on the person along the middle line of the breast or the back and along the line of the side respectively, said bands being connected to each other at the top by an element adjustable in length that must be placed along the circumference of the chest below the arms, said vertical bands having also long slots in which are received and can be fixed some pins which are carried by the ends of the extensible elements that are intended to give the measure of the waist and abdomen respectively.

2. An apparatus for use of tailors for taking the measures of the trunk by being applied on the person, characterized in that it comprises four sections which correspond to the front and back half portions of the person respectively, said portions being formed each by elements or members which are adjustable in length and graduated according to a chosen standard, in which the upper portion of each of the breast sections comprises an element adapted to be fastened on the vertical band that corresponds to the middle lineof the breast, a curved element that corresponds to the base of the neck and is pivotally secured to the first named element, an element which corresponds to the top line of the shoulder and is pivotally connected to the neck element and to another element in a slot of which a pin carried by an angular extension of the neck element is received and can be fixed, an obliquely situated element extending from the pin on the angular extension of the neck element to an extension of a band underlying the band corresponding to the circumference of the chest, two elements pivotally connected to said oblique element and respectively extending to the element that has to be placed on the middle line of the upper portion of the breast and to the element which measures the circumference of the chest where it is pivoted in a point adjacent to the line of the side, an element having a substantially T shaped head which has to be brought tangent to the contour of the arm and which can be secured in the convenient angular relationship with the obliquely set element.

3. An apparatus for use of tailors for taking the measures of the trunk by being applied on the person, characterized in that it comprises four sections which correspond to the front and back half portions of the person respectively, said portions being formed each by elements or mem bers which are adjustable in length and graduated according to a chosen standard, in which each back section includes a vertically arranged element which is fixedly secured in prolongation of the vertical band that corresponds to the mid dle line of the back and also fixedly secured to a curved element that corresponds to the base of the neck, an element corresponding to the top line of the shoulder and which is pivotally connected to the element of the neck and also pivotally connected to a substantially horizontally set element in a slot of which latter is received and can be fixed a pin on an angular extension of the element of the neck, an obliquely situated element which is pivotally connected to the angular extension of the neck element and which extends as far as a point which is situated on the circumference of the thorax adjacent to the line of the side, in which point said oblique element is secured by means of a press stud or any other readily detachable connecting means, a substantially horizontal element that extends from the obliquely set element on to the element of the middle line of the upper portion of the back, said substantially horizontal element being freely pivoted at both ends, an element having a substantially T shaped head that must be brought tangent to the contour of the arm and which is adapted to be secured in the convenient angular position with respect to the obliquely arranged element.

LUIGI BRANCIHNI. 

